Orientation
by CRCopeland
Summary: AU - SG-1 trains some new recruits while one of them plots to kill O'Neill.


_Disclaimer: Stargate and its' characters belong to MGM, Gecko and all those other companies whose names I can never remember. Original characters are mine, any resemblence to real persons living or dead is a coincidence._

_Summary: SG-1 trains some new recruits while one of them plots to kill O'Neill._

_Spoilers: None really, as long as you know about the NID and the Alpha Site. Takes place during Season 5._

"Reporting as ordered," the NID agent said as the cell commander closed the door to his office.

"We've made arrangements for you to be recruited by the SGC," the commander said. "Your assignment is to kill Colonel Jack O'Neill."

"How?"

The commander handed an ammo clip to the agent.

"It's an Intar clip," the agent observed.

"With one minor modification," the commander replied. "It shoots bullets instead of energy pellets."

"Clever."

"You'll go through the same orientation process as any new field agent at the SGC, including war games using Intars."

"I won't let you down, Sir," the agent promised.

"Just remember," the commander warned, "as far as Hammond and the rest know, you're hearing about the Stargate for the first time. Don't tip your hand and appear to know more than you should."

Dr. Jesse Parker typed the last few sentences of her second doctoral thesis into her notebook computer and saved the file. She arched her back and stretched her tired neck and shoulder muscles. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a man watching her. She stared at him until he rose from his chair and approached her table.

Daniel Jackson navigated the crowded library tables until he was standing opposite the young woman he'd been observing. She certainly didn't fit the stereotypical image of an archeologist, he thought. Her hair was short, spiky and fire-engine red. She wore a tank top that matched her hair and clung snugly to her torso. According to his research, Dr. Parker, age twenty-five, was the current wunderkind of the archeological community. On the plane to Boston, where Jesse was finishing up her second doctoral degree, Daniel skimmed through several of her papers. In her writings, Dr. Parker explored the validity of theories long accepted as fact. She wasn't afraid to take risks, Daniel observed; at least not on paper.

"May I help you?" Jesse asked the man standing across the table.

"Dr. Parker, my name is Daniel Jackson." He took a seat at the table.

"Uh-huh," Jesse replied. "Isn't he supposed to be dead? Or at the very least skulking around, afraid to show his face in public?"

"I'm not dead and I don't skulk," Daniel answered.

"What can I do for you Dr. Jackson?" she was still clearly skeptical.

Daniel was very aware of their public surroundings. What he had to say was better said in private. "Can we go for a walk?" he asked.

Jesse laughed. "Yeah right! I have no idea who you really are and you want me to go for a walk with you. Alone, I assume? Smart women don't go for walks with strange men. No matter how cute they are."

"Shhh!" a girl from another table glared at them.

In a whisper, Daniel continued, "I really am Daniel Jackson. For the last six years, I've been involved in a top secret project with the Air Force. The project has grown and needs more archeologists to work on it. I think you would be a good choice to join us."

Jesse leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. "You want me to work for the Air Force?"

"Do you have a problem with that?"

"Let's just say I don't usually get along with military types," Jesse answered, vaguely.

Daniel smirked. "I didn't either, six years ago. But the people with this project aren't half-bad, once you get to know them. Look, if you're interested, meet me tomorrow at this address." He dropped a card on the table as he stood.

Jesse watched over her shoulder as the man _claiming_ to be Daniel Jackson exited the library. When he was gone, she picked up the card he dropped on the table. The business card was for a quiet café close to the campus, but not usually frequented by students. Scrawled on the back of the card was the time for the meeting: 1400.

Jack O'Neill checked his watch. "She's late," he informed Daniel.

Daniel looked towards the door. He saw that Jesse was just entering the café. "Here she is," he said as he rose to show her to their table. Her clothing choice today was no less casual than the day before. Today it was low-rise gray cargo pants with a black tank top. When she turned towards Daniel, he saw that her top was emblazoned with a glittering Superman "S".

"I looked you up on the Internet," Jesse said, by way of greeting. "You look like your picture."

Daniel gave her a bemused look but chose not to comment. "The table's this way."

Jack stood as they approached the table. "Dr. Parker, this is Colonel Jack O'Neill," Daniel introduced. "Jack, this is Dr. Jesse Parker."

The two shook hands and eyed each other warily before they sat down. A waiter brought Jesse a glass of water and said he would return shortly to take their orders.

"So, where is this job?" Jesse asked.

"Colorado," Jack answered.

Jesse frowned. What could the Air Force possibly need an archeologist for in Colorado?

Daniel correctly interpreted her expression. "We're based in Colorado," he clarified. "We actually go to quite a few exotic locations."

Jesse didn't get a chance to reply as the waiter chose that moment to approach. Jesse ordered first, choosing a vanilla latte. Daniel and Jack each ordered a black coffee.

"So, what exactly do you do?" Jesse asked, once the waiter left.

"This and that," Jack said.

"Why do you need an archeologist?"

"Translating, mostly. Expertise in various cultures is also a plus," Jack answered.

"The nature of the project is classified," Daniel added. "Jack is second-in-command. The purpose of this interview is for Jack to see if you'd be right for the project and for you to see if your interested enough to come to Colorado. If this goes well, and you come to Colorado, you'll be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement and told all the details."

"Hmm," Jesse grunted. She leaned back as the waiter placed her latte on the table. "So, how do you feel about your job?" she asked Daniel.

Daniel exchanged a meaningful look with Jack. Should he tell her the 'company line' or the truth? He settled for a compromise.

"It's tough," Daniel admitted. "Some days I wonder if it's worth all the time and effort. Other days, it's like nothing on Earth."

"Well, it's tough to know if this is something I want to be involved in without more details," Jesse admitted. "But, I've never been able to resists a good mystery. When do I leave for Colorado?"

Jack nearly choked on the sip of coffee he'd just taken. He coughed to clear his throat. "Excuse me?"

Jesse took the last swallow of her latte. "Well, thanks for the coffee," she said. "Give me a call when you're ready for me in Colorado." She sauntered out of the café without looking back.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she got to her car. The hard part was over, now she just had to wait for them to call and offer her the job.

Two weeks later, just when Jesse was about to give up on waiting for a phone call from Daniel Jackson, the phone rang.

"Hello," she answered.

"Dr. Parker, this is Daniel Jackson," said the voice from the other end of the line.

"I was beginning to wonder if you'd call," Jesse said.

"We'd like you to come out to Colorado. When do you think you could get here?"

"Well, let me check my calendar," Jesse stalled – she didn't want to seem too eager. "How long would you need me out there at first?"

"Couple of days," Daniel answered. "If we decide to make the position permanent then you'll have to move out here."

"Okay. Um, if it's just for a couple of days I could be there on Monday," Jesse said.

"Okay," Daniel replied and proceeded to give her directions to the mountain.

Monday morning she parked her rental car in the visitor's parking lot and made her way past the checkpoints. The mountain air was cold and though she still wore low rise cargo pants she was also wearing a sweater that gave her a more conservative look, even though her hair was still as red as a stoplight. An airman met her in the waiting room and escorted her down to level 27.

The blast door was closed, blocking the view from the briefing room. General Hammond, Colonel O'Neill and Daniel were all seated at the long, red table in the center of the room. Jesse noted the unfamiliar symbol hanging on the far wall. Her heart began beating heavily in her chest. She had the sense that what she was about to learn would change her world.

"Have a seat," drawled the Texan General. "Can we get you anything to drink? Coffee? Water?"

Though her mouth was suddenly dry, Jesse declined.

"You've met Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson," Hammond said when Jesse was seated. "I'm General George Hammond, leader of this facility. You'll see in front of you a non-disclosure agreement. Before we go any further, I'd like you read and sign it," Hammond said.

It was disconcerting having the three men watch while she read through the document. She scanned the typewritten paragraph. The gist of the document was: breathe even a hint of this and you will be shot, hung or otherwise terminated, permanently.

With a nervous gulp, Jesse signed the bottom of the document.

"So, now I get to know what this is all about," she looked each of the three men directly in the eyes.

Hammond nodded. "Dr. Jackson, if you please."

Daniel leaned forward over the table. "In 1928 on the Giza plateau in Egypt," he began. Thirty minutes later when he finally sat back in his chair Jesse was stunned speechless.

A million questions tumbled through her head, but her tongue seemed to be permanently stuck to the roof of her mouth. Hammond signaled to the airman standing guard to pour the young doctor a glass of water. Jesse accepted the glass gratefully and took a small sip.

Jack, silent for the entire meeting so far, watched as unspoken questions flitted across Jesse's face. He found that he enjoyed seeing her nervous. He thought that she was too arrogant, too much of a punk to be a good fit for the SGC. He was generally opposed to civilians going off-world, with Daniel being the obvious exception. If civilians were to go off-world, he preferred that they be a little afraid of the air force personnel that accompanied them – it kept all of them a little safer. Dr. Parker had not been the least bit afraid of his gruff Colonel persona when they'd met in the café. That worried Jack.

Jesse finally found her voice. "So, what you do here is travel to other planets, making friend and trying to find advanced technology?"

"That's correct," Hammond answered.

"And these people you come in contact with are human?"

"For the most part," Daniel answered. "We have come in contact with a few alien species."

"And these humans were kidnapped from Earth and enslaved by these aliens called the Goa'uld?"

There were nods around the table.

"So why isn't your primary goal freeing these people from slavery?" Jesse demanded.

"We do what we can," Jack said. "The Goa'uld aren't just bullies on the playground. They have superior technology, fire and manpower."

"But Dr. Jackson just said on your first mission, when you knew nothing about them, you took out the most powerful Goa'uld of all, Ra. Why can't you just take out the others?"

"We've taken out our fair share," Jack argued.

Jesse opened her mouth to argue back, but Hammond interrupted. "Enough," he said. Jack pushed down his temper and turned to look at his commanding officer.

Jesse closed her mouth. Great, she thought. I just blew this job.

"Dr. Parker, I appreciate your passion," Hammond said. "The president, myself and everyone at this command feels a great deal of sympathy for the peoples that have been enslaved by the Goa'uld. However, our primary objective remains to find allies and technology that can defend this world."

"Many of the worlds we encounter," Daniel explained, "have been abandoned by the Goa'uld. We make friends among those peoples and provide aid where we can. We tell those worlds that are still enslaved that the Goa'uld are false gods and should be overthrown. Some worlds listen and rebel; others don't believe us or are too afraid. As hard as it is to learn, we have to accept that we can't help everyone."

The look on Daniel's face told Jesse that this was a lesson he was still learning.

Jesse took another sip of her water. She racked her brain for the right question to ask or right words to say to guarantee her the job. She needed this job. She looked directly at General Hammond. She knew that Colonel O'Neill was watching her and it made her want to bristle and continue arguing, so she did her best to ignore him.

"General Hammond," she said, "I apologize if I was out of line. In my experience the military tends to care more about orders and proper procedure than people." Jesse swallowed, hard. "I am very interested in working for the SGC. The opportunity is too amazing to pass up."

General Hammond allowed himself a smile. "We're happy to have you," he said. "If you'll speak with my aide, he'll fill you in on all the details."

Jesse stood and walked around to the head of the table. "Thank you," she said and stuck out her hand to shake the General's. The aide came up and escorted her down to personnel, explaining all the particulars as they walked.

One week later, Jesse's apartment was packed up and the movers were scheduled to drive her belongings to a storage unit in Colorado Springs. Jesse herself was checked into an inexpensive motel until she could find an apartment. She was nervous and the night before she was due back at Cheyenne Mountain she paced her motel room, unable to fall asleep.

When she reported to the mountain at 0800, she was escorted to a room where she met three military personnel, also new to Stargate Command, Lieutenants White, Fairchild and Gomez. The three military recruits scanned the civilian. They wore their dress blues and frowned on her baggy pants and tight top. Two airmen arrived to escort the new team into the mountain.

For the next five days, the four recruits were subject to physical and psychological evaluations, fitness tests, weapons training and lecture after lecture. They were photographed, fingerprinted and scanned. Jesse was given so much paperwork to read she thought she was back in grad school.

They were given the weekend off with orders to report by 0600 the next Monday.

At 0545 on Monday morning, SG-1 was assembled around the briefing room table waiting for the newbies they were taking on an orientation mission. After the success of the training scenarios run out of the SGC, the president had authorized off-world training for new members of the program. General Hammond rotated the SG teams through the orientation program and for this week's mission, SG-1 drew the short end of the stick – or at least that's what Jack thought.

Over the past week, they'd all met the new recruits in various lectures. Daniel lectured on archeology, mythology and alien cultures. Carter lectured on physics, testing alien environments and technology. Teal'c worked on self-defense techniques and hand-to-hand combat. And Jack spoke on tactics and teamwork.

The lieutenants seemed bright enough, but that new geek – Parker – was going to be a pain in the butt. A simple, straightforward answer was never good enough. She asked question after question until Jack's brain hurt and he could feel his blood pressure rising.

Jack had dropped hints with the General that maybe Dr. Parker would be better suited to stay on Earth. When the hints didn't work, he was a little less subtle and said to the General, "Sir, I'm not sure Dr. Parker is the best choice for off-world missions." However, the General disagreed and firmly stated that he wouldn't even consider changing his mind unless the orientation was a complete disaster.

So now it was Monday and they were due to embark to the Alpha Site in just over an hour. They were in the briefing room, going over mission parameters for the five-day trip before they got their gear and took the recruits on their first trip through the Stargate. The blast doors were down. The Stargate remained unseen by any of the recruits.

When they were all gathered, O'Neill laid out the game plan. After gating to the Alpha Site, they'd go on a 10-mile hike up into the hills to find a campsite. They'd spend the next day exploring the terrain and doing surveys. One day would be spent practicing search and rescue operations and then two days playing war games. The last day would be spent hiking back to the Stargate.

To make the scenario more realistic, Jack told the recruits that they would be an SG team, designated SG-R. "Lieutenant White will be the team leader. While you are off-world you will follow her orders," Jack instructed.

After the briefing they were kitted up – dressed in fatigues and vests, loaded up with packs full of camping supplies, MRE's and water. All the military personnel were carrying

90's, 9mm pistols and knives. Teal'c carried his staff weapon and a zat. The civilians – Daniel and Jesse – were armed with their knives and pistols.

Jesse was chatting with Lieutenant White as they came down the corridor on level 28. Over the last week, the two had gotten past their military-civilian differences to find that they liked each other. White was complementing Jesse on her marksmanship on the firing range when Jesse stopped dead in her tracks.

The Stargate stood at the far end of the embarkation room. Jesse fought the urge to walk up to the ring and run her had over its black surface. The chatter of her teammates and the guards faded away and all Jesse could focus on was the massive artifact. Its age lent it majesty, its form gave it grace and she knew it had power. It was no wonder man had attributed godhood to those who used it.

Daniel walked up behind Jesse and watched as she stared. She only jumped a little when he put a hand on her shoulder. "Impressive, isn't it?" he asked.

All Jesse could do was nod, mutely, as Daniel ushered her in to the gate room.

The two teams waited while the Alpha Site coordinates were entered into the computer. With a loud grinding noise the Stargate began to move. As the symbols rotated into place the chevrons engaged with a clunk and the lights began to glow red. Jesse watched in awe as the device hummed. She swore she could feel the power of it vibrating through the entire room.

"Chevron seven locked," came the sergeant's voice over the loudspeaker. SG-1 turned their gaze to the 'gate to watch the wormhole open – a phenomenon that would never grow old.

Eyes wide, Jesse watched as the Stargate blossomed to life. The silver-blue stream shot out, straight at them. All four members of SG-R took a step back in surprise – they'd never seen anything like it. As soon as the even horizon settled into a shimmering, horizontal pool Jesse took a step forward. It was fascinating. To think that this ten thousand year old device was more advanced than any technology humans had ever invented.

"SG-1 and SG-R, you have a go," Hammond said from the control room. "Good luck."

Colonel O'Neill and Daniel headed up the ramp first and were swallowed by the Stargate. The members of SG-R followed next, walking up the ramp in pairs. White and Gomez were first, followed by Fairchild and Parker. As they reached the edge of the even horizon, Jesse paused. Exchanging a slightly worried glance with her teammate, Jesse took a deep breath and plunged into the adventure.

A few, wild seconds later she was spewed out of the wormhole onto a stone platform. Stumbling, she tripped down the steps to the ground. One of the Alpha Site guards caught her before she fell and held her steady as she shuddered from the cold and suppressed the threatening nausea.

Lieutenant Colonel Fredericks met the two teams at the 'gate. "Hello, Colonel," he greeted.

"Fredericks," Jack said in return.

"So SG-1 gets babysitting duty this week, eh?" Fredericks smiled to soften the teasing that seasoned veterans gave every newbie. "You guys want some breakfast before you head out?"

Every one grinned as the members of SG-R paled at the mention of food. They all remembered what they went through as they got used to 'gate travel.

"I guess not," Fredericks said.

"All right everyone," Jack said. "Head out. White, Carter, take point."

Carter and Lieutenant White took point and everyone fell in behind them for the hike to the campsite.

For the first few miles, the terrain was smooth and easy to traverse. They set a brisk pace. Jesse couldn't stop herself from trying to mentally record every detail. She breathed deep to memorize the smell of the air. She studied the ground in front of her and the scenery on the horizon. She was actually on an alien world and she didn't want to miss a thing. She sensed a large presence beside her and looked up to see Teal'c.

"Hi there," Jesse said.

"Hello," Teal'c replied.

"Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Jesse found herself increasing her pace to keep up with Teal'c's long strides. Teal'c merely inclined his head, giving her permission to go ahead.

"I was wondering about Jaffa culture and rituals. Do all Jaffa get implanted with a symbiote?"

"The Goa'uld created the Jaffa to be dependent upon them for survival. When a young Jaffa reaches a certain age they must be implanted with a prim'ta or they will die."

Jack and Daniel were following behind Teal'c and Jesse and could overhear their conversation. Daniel was pleased when he saw the compassionate look that Jesse gave Teal'c after he told her about how all Jaffa needed a symbiote.

"There she goes," Jack commented as Jesse continued questioning Teal'c about his culture. "Look at her, pestering Teal'c with all those questions."

"Jack, she's curious," Daniel admonished.

"So?" Jack was unimpressed.

Daniel sighed. Aside from himself and Sam, Jack had little use for any of the scientists involved with Stargate Command. "Just give her a chance, Jack."

Jack's response was to call up to Major Carter. "Carter! Are we there yet?"

After the first three or four miles, the terrain started uphill. The slopes weren't very steep, but they were rocky and the teams' pace slowed. SG-1, who was used to hiking through all kinds of terrain, took it in stride. SG-R, who'd been keeping in shape on city streets and gym equipment, were quickly winded. They struggled to keep up, huffing and puffing as they climbed.

At six miles, Carter called a halt to the trek. She wanted everyone to catch their second wind before the steepest part of the climb. They paused by a cluster of large rocks. Leaning against one, Jesse noticed what looked like a series of scratches on the weather worn stone.

She turned around to face the stone and ran her fingers over the light grooves. "What is it?" Daniel asked, noticing her activity.

"I'm just curious about the markings on the stone. I was checking to see if they were random – made by wind and other rocks – or if they were put there on purpose."

"Well?" Daniel prompted.

"I think you put them there to see if anyone on these training missions noticed them," Jesse grinned.

"She caught you," Sam commented as she walked up behind Daniel.

"What gave me away?"

"The markings are on the worn down part of the stone. And the edges of the engravings are still sharp – not worn down enough to match the age of the stone. Though, it looks like maybe you tried sanding them down a bit."

Daniel grinned. "Yeah, you caught me. Good job."

Pleased by the compliment, Jesse blushed. "Thanks."

"Okay," Jack spoke up. "We've got two more miles in that direction." He pointed up the hill. "SG-R, you take point and find us a good campsite."

SG-R tightened their packs and trudged upwards. They reached the plateau with no further incident. After a short debate amongst themselves, SG-R chose a campsite at the edge of the clearing. They could easily take shelter in the trees if it started to rain or they were unexpectedly attacked.

Camp was quickly set up. The three tents were circled around the fire pit and everyone stored their packs. After a quick meal, Jack quizzed the recruits on their off-world reconnaissance procedures and then turned them loose to explore.

The next two days went smoothly. They spent one day doing surveys of the area, sometimes hiking as far as ten miles up into the hills. The following day was spent practicing search and rescue operations. Jesse was fairly quiet, deferring to the lieutenants experience and training. But afterwards she was full of questions, asking why they used certain procedures and bringing up other scenarios.

Finally, Jack's favorite part of these missions came – the war games. He mixed up the two teams for the first 'round,' assigning Carter and Teal'c to work with Jesse and Lieutenant White. Gomez and Fairchild would be on his and Daniel's team. They moved down to more level ground for the activity.

"Okay, kids," Jack said. "Here's the scenario. My team is the Jaffa, standing guard over the 'gate – which for this exercise is in the clearing two miles due east. Your objective is to disable the guards, dial the 'gate and get home. Now's the time to change out your clips for Intars," Jack ordered, referring to the training weapons they'd obtained from Apophis' stores.

Everyone removed the clips from their pistols and

90's, checked the chambers to make sure they were clear and then reloaded the weapons with the clips that had the red jewel at the base. Jesse took a moment to examine hers. It looked identical to the clip that had bullets, but instead of a place to put the bullets the clip was solid. There was a tiny dial at the base that you could use to set the force of the energy pulse that was fired. Hers was set to just above minimum – enough that you'd feel it, but not enough to cause any pain.

Jesse was familiar with carrying and firing a weapon – she often carried one on excavations as protection from natives or wild animals – but she'd only ever shot at a target or the occasional spider (which was a cause for much teasing among her fellow archeologists). Even though her rational mind knew this exercise was like a high-tech form of paint ball, she grew suddenly nervous at the thought of aiming her weapon at a person.

"Excuse me," Jesse said suddenly. She unhooked her pack and let it fall to the ground, placing her weapon next to it. She hurried into the woods.

Everyone stood around with puzzled looks on their faces. "Carter, go check that out," Jack ordered and Sam quickly obeyed. Lieutenant White picked up Jesse's equipment. They waited – Jack a little less than patiently – for Sam and Jesse to return.

A few minutes later they emerged from the woods. Jesse looked a little green around the edges. "Are you sure you're okay," Sam asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just got a little nervous about shooting at people; especially people I know are friendly." Jesse gave her a weak smile. "I'll be fine. Besides – I think most of it was that MRE I had for breakfast."

"Okay," Sam said, giving the other woman an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

"You ready now?" Jack asked once they'd rejoined the group. Sam nodded in reply, so did Jesse. "Okay. Give us a twenty minute head start and then head out." Jack turned to his team. "Let's go!"

While they waited, Carter, Teal'c and White discussed strategies for approaching a guarded 'gate. They knew they'd have some cover from the trees, so they talked about approaching from two sides. One side, Carter and White, would provide cover fire while Teal'c and Jesse made their way to the DHD (for this exercise a large boulder with the symbols written on it with a permanent marker). When the twenty minutes was up, they started off at a jog – hoping to reach their objective before Colonel O'Neill's team had time to get set up.

They neared the clearing and slowed their pace. Concentrating on not making any noise, they split up. Carter and White went around to the left to find a good spot to set up cover fire. Teal'c and Jesse moved to the right to approach the DHD.

Hidden behind trees at the edge of the clearing, they saw only Lieutenant Gomez patrolling in front of the DHD. Their radios crackled, quietly and White's voice came through. "There's only one of them up there."

"Indeed," Teal'c replied. "It is most likely an ambush. What do you suggest?"

They could hear White and Carter whispering back and forth before White came back on. "Teal'c, you, Carter and I will do a little recon to see if we can spring the trap. Parker, keep an eye on Gomez. If he breaks his patrol, take him out. Got it?"

"Yeah," Jesse said. She could feel her adrenaline pumping and was getting into the spirit of the exercise. Her pistol was in her hand and ready to use if she needed it.

"Okay, people," White said. "Let's go."

"Stay here. If your position is discovered, fire and move to a new location. I will find you," Teal'c told her and then he moved away – as silent as a shadow.

The only sound Jesse could hear was her own breathing. Even the forest was silent. After what felt like hours, Jesse shifted position to avoid getting a cramp in her leg. As she moved, she heard a dry twig snap. Instantly alert, she looked around. At first she didn't see anything, but then – over by that cluster of trees – there was movement. Jesse shifted again, moving so that she could watch in that direction and keep an eye on the clearing.

She watched for several minutes, but the shadow never reappeared. "It must have been my imagination," she thought. Still nervous about being snuck up on, Jesse maintained her position, but turned her focus to the clearing and watched as Gomez patrolled back and forth.

Suddenly there was a noise close behind her. Heart hammering she spun around, gun held ready. There, gun leveled to shoot her, was Colonel O'Neill. Jesse didn't think, she didn't aim, she just squeezed the trigger.

The shot echoed off the trees and everyone froze. That was a real gunshot – not an Intar. Everyone rushed to the clearing. Jesse was standing, just at the edge of the woods, her pistol dangling loosely from her right hand. She had a look of complete shock on her face.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said and kept repeating it, almost to herself.

O'Neill was the only one missing and Carter, Teal'c and Daniel rushed over to where Jesse was standing. Five feet further into the woods, Colonel O'Neill lay on the ground, very still.

"Teal'c, stay with Parker," Sam ordered. She and Daniel rushed forward to Jack. Sam checked his pulse and breathed a sigh of relief. "He's still alive." She scanned his body and saw that the bullet wound was just above his left hip. It was bleeding profusely, but Daniel had already pulled out a field dressing and was pressing it against Jack's side.

Carter removed her hat and ran a hand through her hair. She swore then stood up and glared at Jesse.

"What happened?" she demanded.

"I, he snuck up on me," Jesse explained. "I fired my gun – like Teal'c told me to. Only, only it wasn't fake." Jesse looked up at Carter, her gray eyes wide and full of tears. "I don't know what went wrong – you told me that they wouldn't be real bullets."

"Go, sit over there," Sam pointed. "Teal'c take Gomez and Fairchild and get back to camp. Use one of the tents to make a stretcher. We've got to get the Colonel home as fast as possible." Teal'c nodded in acknowledgement and grabbed the two Lieutenants, explaining their orders on the way back to the campsite. "Daniel," Carter turned to her other teammate. "Head down to the Alpha Site and let them know that the Colonel's been shot. Come back with their medic and meet us on the way. White," Carter shouted to the last lieutenant. "Come here and keep an eye on Parker." As soon as Sam took his place holding the dressing in place, Daniel took off for the Alpha Site base.

The three women waited in silence with the unconscious Colonel. Sam continued to administer as much first aid as she could. Lieutenant White kept her hands on her

90 and watched Jesse as if the woman might try to escape. Jesse sat on the ground; her hands folded in her lap and alternately tried to figure out what went wrong and what she would do now that her dream job was in the toilet.

"Carter?" came the weak voice of the Colonel.

"I'm here, Sir," she replied.

"What happened?"

"You were shot, Sir."

"How?"

"I'm not sure. We're going to get you back to the SGC and then we'll figure it out. Teal'c should be here anytime with a stretcher and Daniel went to fetch the medic."

"Okay," Jack said and passed out.

Teal'c and the other lieutenants arrived with more medical supplies and a stretcher fashioned out of a tent. They loaded Jack onto it and began the hike to the Stargate. Carter took Jesse's pistol and her knife and stowed them in her pack. She walked in front, with Jesse beside her. The remaining four each took a corner of the stretcher and carried O'Neill.

Daniel, the medic and Colonel Fredericks met them about two miles away from the 'gate. They gently laid O'Neill on the ground so the medic could take a look.

"There's not much more we can do for him here," he shook his head. "You've staunched most of the blood flow, and the morphine shot is keeping him still. I recommend getting him back to the SGC as fast as possible."

Daniel, Colonel Fredericks and the medic took over for the lieutenants and the procession resumed. They walked at a slow pace and stopped frequently to check on O'Neill's bandage. The Stargate was open and waiting for them when they arrived. Colonel Fredericks left orders for his staff to radio ahead to the SGC so that medical personnel would be waiting.

Dr. Frasier ordered her nurses to start an IV as soon as Jack was placed on the gurney. They had O'Neill out of the 'gate room before General Hammond could ask, "What happened?"

Major Carter held Jesse by the arm and handed her off to one of the guards. "Take Dr. Parker to a holding cell," she ordered. "General," Carter said, digging into her pack, "Dr. Parker shot the Colonel. She used a fake Intar clip." Sam handed the weapon to the General.

"Major Carter," General Hammond ordered, "my office. Now. The rest of you, get cleaned up, report to the infirmary for your physical and join us in the briefing room."

In Hammond's office, Sam recounted the events of the last few days. By the time she was done, Daniel and Teal'c were in the briefing room. Sam joined them while Hammond made some phone calls. Teal'c reported that Lieutenants White, Gomez and Fairchild were still in the infirmary.

"Jack was still in surgery when we left the infirmary," Daniel said. "I spoke to one of the nurses and she said things were going well and it shouldn't be much longer."

General Hammond finished his phone calls, reporting the incident and arranging for an investigation, and joined SG-1 in the briefing room. He had just taken his seat when the three lieutenants joined them.

"You are all restricted to the base, pending an investigation of this incident," the General said. "My aide will notify you when we are ready for your testimony. You are ordered not to speak to anyone regarding this incident. Do not even discuss it amongst yourselves. Understood?"

Nods and Yes Sir's acknowledged their instructions. After they were dismissed, SG-1 went to the infirmary and waited for word on O'Neill's condition. They didn't have to wait long. Dr. Janet Fraiser soon came out of surgery, removing her gloves and mask as she walked towards Jack's waiting team.

"Colonel O'Neill is in recovery. He'll be fine. We'll keep him in the infirmary for a few days for observation.

"Can we see him?" Daniel asked.

Janet sighed. SG-1 was the one exception to her visiting policy. If one member of SG-1 was in the infirmary so was one of the other three. "No more than one at a time," Janet allowed.

After a few seconds of silent communication, Teal'c and Sam left the infirmary. Daniel followed Janet to the surgery recovery area. A nurse had already wheeled a chair to O'Neill's bedside.

In the holding cell, Jesse paced back and forth. The guard wouldn't speak to her and no one came down to tell her what was happening. For all she knew, she'd killed Colonel O'Neill. "Please," she asked the guard, "can you at least tell me if the Colonel is okay?" But the guard was deaf to her question.

One by one, General Hammond interviewed everyone who participated in the orientation mission. Major Carter repeated her story for the video camera. All six stories corroborated. Dr. Jesse Parker replaced her regular clip with what appeared to be an Intar clip and was found holding the gun after Colonel O'Neill was shot. No one had actually seen the incident, but the circumstantial evidence was overwhelming. Now, Hammond had only to interview Colonel O'Neill – who was still unconscious – and Dr. Parker. He ordered the guards to bring her up to the briefing room.

"Should I have an attorney?" Jesse asked when she was seated at the foot of the table.

"At this time, I just want to get your version of events at the Alpha Site," General Hammond assured her. He was very disappointed in the young lady sitting across the table. His impressions of her were that she was a caring and compassionate woman with intelligence and skills that would be an asset to the SGC.

In answer to General Hammond's probing, Jesse recounted her memory of the events of the past three days. Her testimony matched that of everyone else – which didn't help her case at all. Hammond thanked Jesse and then ordered the guards to escort her back to a holding cell.

"General," Jesse protested, "I didn't know that there were real bullets in that clip. There's been a mistake." She continued to protest and struggle against the guards until they dragged her from the room. General Hammond just sighed. He hoped Colonel O'Neill would wake soon. Not that he thought O'Neill's story would be any different.

A knock on his door interrupted the General's train of thought. "Come in," he said. The door opened and Daniel walked in.

"General," he said.

"What's on your mind, Doctor?" Hammond asked, gesturing for Daniel to take a seat.

"Does this seem a little too easy to you, General?"

Hammond studied the archeologist while he thought about the question. Nothing about any of his people getting injured was 'easy,' but he knew that in most cases in this command the easy answer wasn't the right one. Before he answered Daniel, Hammond wanted to know more of the younger man's thoughts. "How do you mean, Son?"

"It just seems too clean. Since when does the culprit in something like this get handed to us on a silver platter? And what motivation would Doctor Parker have for shooting Jack?"

"Those are very good questions, Doctor," Hammond answered. "It complicates the investigation, of course." He leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands over his stomach. "I'd like you to go up to the brig and have a talk with Dr. Parker. See if you can find anything out from her."

Daniel looked mildly uncomfortable with this idea, but he nodded. He thanked the General for listening and left the small office. He stopped by the infirmary to check with Teal'c on Jack's condition. The Colonel remained sedated after his surgery. Dr. Fraiser stopped by to check Jack's vitals while Daniel was there.

"I sedated him because if he gets restless he could aggravate the wound," she explained O'Neill's continued unconsciousness. "His vitals are strong." Then she left them alone to check on her other patients.

"You mind sitting with Jack a bit longer?" Daniel asked. "I've got something I need to do."

"I do not mind," Teal'c answered.

"Thanks," Daniel said as he left the infirmary.

Outside the holding area, Daniel nodded to the guard. The airmen let him in – General Hammond notified him that Daniel would be questioning the prisoner. Once inside, Daniel asked the other guard to leave them alone. He pulled up a chair and sat a few feet from Jesse's cell.

Dr. Parker paced frantically back and forth in the confined space. She noticed Daniel's entrance but chose to wait for him to speak. There was silence for five full minutes before Daniel spoke.

"So," he said, "how're you holding up?"

Jesse stopped, mid-step, and looked at Daniel. "How do you think I'm holding up?" she snapped. At first, she'd been distraught over her situation. She feared for her future and for Colonel O'Neill's health. One of the guards finally relented and called the infirmary to get the Colonel's status and let her know. With the second concern out of the way, Jesse's remaining fear turned to anger.

"I'm sitting here, in a prison cell, while the person who slipped that clip into my gun is walking around."

"You're innocent?" Daniel asked.

"Damn right I'm innocent!" Jesse shouted. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself.

"So, who did it?"

Jesse resumed her pacing. "Well, let's think about that, shall we? Assuming that Colonel O'Neill was the target, we can rule out anyone from the SGC. One, if they'd wanted to take O'Neill out, they could have done it a long time ago; two, no one here had any way to know that I'd be on the opposing team, since the Colonel didn't decide until Thursday morning what the teams would be.

"That means it was someone who went to the Alpha Site. Again, we can rule out SG-1. If any of you wanted the Colonel dead, you've had five years to do it."

"Good point," Daniel conceded.

"So that leaves me and Lieutenants White, Fairchild and Gomez as the would-be assassins. I know I didn't do it so it must be one of the Lieutenants."

"That's logical. But how did they do it?"

Step by step, Jesse listed the opportunities her three suspects had to exchange either the clip or her weapon. Daniel listened, all the while thinking that her story made sense but she could also be trying to cast suspicions away from herself because she was guilty. He just didn't know.

"Lieutenant White seems the most likely suspect," Jesse concluded. "After all, if it were Fairchild or Gomez they wouldn't have wanted me to have real bullets just in case I aimed the gun at them."

Before Daniel could reply a guard opened the door. "Dr. Jackson?" he said. "The infirmary just called. Colonel O'Neill is awake."

Daniel thanked the guard. "I'll present your theory to General Hammond," he told Jesse. "I'm sure he'll investigate further." He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

Daniel arrived at the infirmary to find Teal'c, Sam and General Hammond gathered around Jack's bed. Jack was telling Hammond about the events leading up being shot. "The last thing I remember was stepping out from behind the trees. Dr. Parker had her weapon ready, just like we trained her. Before I could fire my weapon, I heard the shot. I didn't even feel it."

When Jack was finished, Daniel told Hammond and the rest of SG-1 about his conversation with Dr. Parker. They spoke in hushed tones so that they wouldn't be overheard.

"It couldn't hurt to dig a little deeper into the Lieutenants' backgrounds," Sam said.

"Was a background check not done before they were assigned to the SGC?" Teal'c asked.

"It was," Hammond answered. "But Major Carter is right. A thorough review of their backgrounds could be considered part of the investigation. Major Carter, will you take care of that? And while you're at it, look into Dr. Parker's as well."

"Yes, Sir," Sam said. "I'll get on that right now."

General Hammond returned to his office to update the investigation file. Teal'c left to Kel'no'reem. Daniel asked one of the nurses to bring the chess set that was kept in the infirmary to entertain bored patients.

"You don't think she did it, do you?" Jack asked.

"I don't know," Daniel answered. "Either she's innocent, or she's a really good actress. I'd like to believe that she's a victim here too. That would make more sense."

"Yes," Jack said, thoughtfully. They finished their game without talking much, and what they did say was on other topics. When they were done, Jack was exhausted. He settled down to sleep while Daniel put the game away.

The evening shift was on duty in the infirmary and the lights were dimmed so that patients could rest. Daniel knew that Jack would sleep for most of the night, so he told the nurses that he would be back early the next morning; he went to his quarters to shower and sleep.

Jack felt a presence next to the bed. His internal clock told him it was late, late night. He opened his eyes to tell whichever member of his team was still in the infirmary to go get some sleep. But it wasn't a member of SG-1 standing at his side. It was Lieutenant White.

"White?" Jack asked, his voice thick from sleep. "What are you doing here?"

"Sir," she said. "I just wanted to stop by and check on you myself." She smiled, sweetly.

"It's late, go get some sleep," Jack ordered. Alarms were going off in his head. As subtly as he could, he groped for the call button.

"I'm a bit of a night owl," White confessed. "I'm not really all that tired. Besides," she whispered, "I have a job to finish." She slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out a syringe. She injected the contents directly into Jack's IV. "I'm going to let you go back to sleep now," White said in her regular voice. "I'm glad to see you're doing okay."

As White left, Jack continued to search for the call button. His vision darkened and everything began to swirl and fade. He slipped into unconsciousness before he could call for help.

Janet Fraiser snapped shut the folder on her desk. She checked her watch – it was too late to go home, she'd just grab a few hours sleep in her quarters. She'd already called Cassie to let her know that Jack was injured, so her daughter wasn't expecting her. She stretched and decided to check on Colonel O'Neill one more time before she turned in.

Daniel tossed and turned on his military issue mattress. His mind replayed the events of the last few days, over and over. Finally giving up on sleep, Daniel pulled on his BDU's and decided to see if Jack was awake.

Daniel passed Lieutenant White in the corridor outside the elevator. He watched over his shoulder with a puzzled frown as she turned the corner. He paused and deliberated following her, but then Daniel heard the commotion from the infirmary. He sprinted the last ten yards to the entrance.

Daniel watched as Janet and her nurses scurried around Jack's bed. He overheard snippets of conversation. "What happened?" Janet demanded.

"I don't know," replied one of the nurses. "I just checked on him a few minutes ago and he was stable."

Daniel put two and two together and turned to go after Lieutenant White. Not knowing which direction she'd gone after passing him, Daniel stopped at a wall phone and dialed Teal'c's quarters. He quickly explained the situation and then dialed Sam's room. Soon the entire base was looking for Lieutenant White.

It didn't take long to find her. The guards brought her down to the infirmary. Teal'c stood directly behind the chair that Lieutenant White was asked to sit in. His presence very obviously made the Lieutenant uncomfortable and she fidgeted in her seat.

Sam pulled a chair up in front of White and sat down. "What did you give the Colonel?"

White remained silent.

"Who are you working for?" Sam asked.

Again, White remained silent.

Daniel was sitting on an empty bed, with his feet propped on a folding chair. "For crying out loud," he exclaimed and kicked the chair away. It skittered across the floor loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the infirmary. Before anyone could react, the normally mild-mannered archeologist took the two steps between him and Lieutenant White and lifted her to her feet by the front of her shirt.

"My friend," he growled, "is dying." He gave the Lieutenant a violent shake. "Tell us how to save him, or so help me God, you won't see another sunrise."

"Daniel," Sam cautioned.

Daniel turned and Sam couldn't help the half step backwards that she took. Daniel's eyes were ice cold and Sam felt a nervous flutter in her stomach. She rarely saw Daniel angry, and never before this enraged.

Daniel turned his glare back to Lieutenant White. "Is there something you'd like to say, Lieutenant?"

In a shaky voice, the Lieutenant whispered the name of the drug she'd given to O'Neill. Sam repeated it to the nurse standing by who relayed the information to Dr. Fraiser.

Daniel released his grip on the Lieutenant and she dropped to the chair. Teal'c placed his large hand on her shoulder to hold her in place. The Jaffa made eye contact with Daniel and nodded slightly, showing his support for Daniel's actions.

Daniel turned and rested his hands on the empty bed and bowed his head. He took several deep breaths to calm himself and to stop his shaking. Sam placed her hand on his back and asked if he was alright.

Hammond stood to the side, observing. He signaled to the guards to take the correct culprit to a holding cell. He would interrogate her in the morning. He made his way over to where Janet Fraiser was pulling off her latex gloves and asked for a report on O'Neill's condition.

"He'll make it," she reported. "It was close, though," Janet sighed.

"Good work, Doctor," the General said. "I'll be back to check on O'Neill later this morning.

"Yes, Sir," Janet acknowledged. "Dr. Warner will be on duty soon; I'll update him on the Colonel's status."

"Get some sleep, Doctor," Hammond smiled. From the phone in the infirmary, the General called down to the holding area. He ordered the guards to release Doctor Parker and ask her to report to his office at 0800. That done, Hammond sighed. "I'm really getting too old for this," he muttered.

Through the grapevine, Daniel heard about Jesse's meeting with General Hammond and met her as she was exiting the General's office.

"Well?" he prompted.

Jesse gave him a sidelong glance as he walked beside her down the corridor.

"I've been cleared of all charges, given an official apology and asked to stay," Jesse said.

"Will you?" Daniel asked.

"I haven't decided yet," Jesse replied.

Daniel stopped walking and put a hand on Jesse's elbow. She, too, stopped and turned to face him.

"Do you know why you were picked for this job?" Daniel asked. Jesse waited for him to answer his own question. "You're bright, good with languages and people," Daniel said. "But most of all – you have a reputation for not backing down from a challenge. Don't walk away from this one." With that parting shot, Daniel turned to walk back towards the briefing room.

"Hey, Jackson," Jesse called. Daniel turned. "Know where I can find a decent apartment?"

Daniel smiled. "Welcome aboard, Dr. Parker. Welcome aboard."


End file.
